The Dog Days of Women
The morning of August 26th, I start off my day with a good cup of Veracruz coffee and a peek at one of my social media accounts. What I see may seem simple, but it reflects our collective thought.
To start, a congratulatory message comes up on my feed. It’s for the social media itself. It reminds me it’s National Women’s Equality Day. Immediately, my mind wanders to what it must have been like for my grandmothers not having permission to vote; such a fundamental way of shaping the life of a country, a state, a community, families and your very own life. My female ancestors did not have it.
I take a moment to silently thank the brave women who have fought so I can go to the polls and participate in decisions that affect my life. I thank those women who stood up so today, I can go to school, wear pants and many other things we take for granted. So many rights women before me did not enjoy. I also wonder how much more we need to change before women get equal pay in my home state.
I do a quick search to find out when women around the world gained the right to vote. I’m happily surprised. Women in New Zealand have been voting since the late 1800s! Sadly, some countries did not allow women to vote until the 2000s. Really? I can’t even begin to imagine what being a woman in a place like that would be like. And “Why isn’t the world paying more attention to this?” I think.
I go back to my social media. In comes a flood of dog photos. Little dogs, big dogs. Old dogs and puppies. Everyone is posting about a pet. Hairy, brown, black, skinny and fat. It’s Dog Day.
I love my own dog; I do. She’s a great companion and a lovely creature. I’m happy for all the dog lovers of the world. But women around the world do not have equal rights yet. That will only change if we choose to make it a priority. Love your dog, cherish your rights, respect the women of the world. You pick the order.
Image courtesy of [taoty] / FreeDigitalPhotos.net